Washing apparatus for separating coal and like materials



Sept. 24, 1929. c. MARCHANT 1,729,545

WASHING APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING COAL AND LIKE MATERIALS Filed Dec. 7,1926 P ,fwf W Q W x a z Patented Sept. 24, 1929 ('iHABLES MABCH ANT, OFMONTIGNY-LE-TILLEUL, BELGIUM WASHING APPARATUS FOR SEPARA'IING COAL ANDLIKE MATERIALS Application filed December 7, 1928, Serial No. 153,157,and in Belgium January 16, 1926.

This invention relates to apparatus for washing and separating coal andlike minerals, in which the material to be treated is charged into acolumn of water in which it 5 meets an ascending current of fluid underpressure that raises the lighter particles to the surface while theheavier particles fall to the bottom of the column. In some apparatus ofthis kind the materials treated successivel meet a plurality ofascending currents w ich raise the less heav particles through separateconduits so that 'y increasing the pressure of the successive currentsit is possible to obtaina separation of the particles according to theirweight.

An inconvenience of apparatus of this type, such as they have beenconstructed heretofore, is that in order to be efiicacious they musthave a considerable height, which gives rise to a great consumption ofmotive power in order to produce ascending currents sufiicientlypowerful to carry particles of coal up to the top of the ascendingconduits. On the other hand the cost of the apparatus and of theauxiliary devices required therefor depends much on their height.

Another inconvenience of these apparatus is that for a large portion oftheir travel the materials under treatment slide on inclined 0 walls andthe light particles thereon are liable to be covered by heavy particlesand to adhere thereto so that in these portions of the apparatusthevseparation can only be incompletely performed.

' The object of the present invention is to These objects areattainedaccording to this invention by making the downward column with verticalwalls throughout its oper ative height. Moreover each of the ascendingcurrents is caused to flow through a portion of the vertical columnbefore reaching the opening of the next upward conduit through which itwill raise the particles light enough to be carried thereby.

The accompanying drawing illustrates diagrammatically in verticalsection an apparatus constructed in'accordance with the presentinvention.

In this drawing a is the vertical column into which the materials to betreated are charged through the hopper a, and b, c, d, e are adjacentconduits starting from the column a successively at different levels andadapted to receive the less heavy particles carried by the ascendingcurrents fed into the column a through the nozzles f, g, h, z while theheavier particles fall to the bottom of the column a into a suitablecollecting drum is whereby they are discharged from the apparatus.

The pressure of each of the successive currents fed through the nozzlesf, g, h, 2' can be adjusted according to the height through which theparticles must be raised.

The conduit 72' starts from the column a at a certain distance above thefirst nozzle f and the conduits 0, d, e respectively start just below orat the level of the lower edge of the nozzles f, g, h respectively, sothat the Walls Z, m, n that separate them from the column a, serve asscreens to prevent the fluid under pressure admitted through saidnozzles f, g, 72. directly entering the conduits c, d. e. The lowermostnozzle 2' opens near the bottom of the column a at a certain distancebelow the lower end of conduit e.

This apparatus operates as follows:

The column a and the conduits b, 0, d, 6 being filled with water, thereis introduced into the column a, through the nozzles f, g, h, 7:, wateror air or another fluid under pressure, and the materials to be treated,for

example coal mixed with slate, are charged into the column a. Theparticles of coal and slate fall on the inclined wall of the hopper aand when they reach the top of the column a they meet the firstascending current coming from the orifice f which carries with it thelightest particles and raises them into the first conduit?) at the topof which they can be collected.

The column a being-vertical, the drop of the remaining particles to thebottom is no longer impeded except by the ascending currents conung fromthe nozzles g, h, i which carry the less heavy particles and raise themthrough the conduits c, d, e respectively, while the heavier particlesdrop directly to the bottom of the column. The light particles thus cannot be caught and carried by heavier particles as may happen when thedownward column comprises inclined portions.

On the other hand, as the separation of the particles takes placewithout interruption from top to bottom of the column a, the height ofthis column and consequently of the apparatus can be materially lessthan that of apparatus proposed heretofore.

I claim:

1. In a washing apparatus for separating coal and like materials, thecombination of vertical walls limiting a column of water verticalthroughout its height, means for feeding material to be separated to thetop of the column, a plurality of nozzles at different levels forfeeding upward currents of fluid under pressure into said column, acorresponding number of upwardly extending conduits offset from thelowermost part of the walls forming the column. and from each other andextending parallel to each other, the lower part of the column and eachof said conduits receiving one of said upward currents of fluid, and anoutlet at the bottom of the column.

2. In a washing apparatus for separating coal and like materials, thecombination of means forming a vertical column of water comprising aplurality of adjoining vertical sections, means for feeding material tobe separated to the top of the column, means for feeding fluid underpressure to the bottom of each section, an upward conduit branching offsaid means at the top of each section, and an outlet at the bottom ofsaid means.

3. In a washing apparatus for separating coal and like materials,,thecombination of means forming a colunin of water vertical throughout itsheight, means for feeding material to be separated to the top of thecolumn, a plurality of nozzles at different levels for feeding fluidunder pressure into said column, a corresponding number of upwardconduits, one of said conduits forming an upward extension of saidcolumn, the

other conduits branching off said column each at a level slightly belowthe opening of one of said nozzles and arranged parallel to said column,and an outlet at the bottom of said column.

In testimony whereofI aifix my signature.

CHARLES MARCHANT.

